Kids get artistic as they explore the impact of art materials, sculpture, and performance. They discuss the work of Janine Antoni and then create a performance piece that reflects social or global issues they feel strongly about. The end...

Students watch an episode of the PBS show "Maya and Miguel" and examine how to express empathy with someone who has a disability. They discuss the episode, and create an art project using one hand only, or paint an object blindfolded...

Did you know that "in the largest refugee crisis since World War II, more the 64 million people have been forced from their homes"? The Anti-Defamation League presents an activity that asks class members to examine a series of artworks...

Students create poems based on the Haiku form and research about WWII. Class discussion and classroom readings of student work finish this instructional activity. Emphasis is placed on Standards in the Arts.

After a teacher-led demonstration on the lives and music of Aaron Copland and Duke Ellington, learners write a letter to them which shows their understanding of how a person's life experiences can be reflected in a composer's music. They...

Engage your pupils in short story and short film. Using a still from the film as inspiration, pairs compose short stories, which they later share and compare with other members of the class. They then watch the film and respond to a...

What does empathy look like? Encourage your pupils to put themselves in another person's shoes with several writing and discussion activities that relate to a featured short film. Over the course of the lesson, individuals collaborate...

Our uniqueness should be celebrated, not teased. The story Chrysanthemum addresses having a distinct name and dealing with different perceptions. Pre- and post-reading questions are listed to help your learners understand...

Young scholars explore William D. Huff's experience during Civil War as portrayed in his drawings, express empathy and demonstrate historical knowledge through creating their own artwork, and craft drawings and captions from perspectives...

Can a neon sign be considered art? Kids consider two different works that use neon text as the basis for conveying artistic social messages. They then analyze a truism from Jenny Holzer's web site that holds meaning to them personally....

A portrait The Radcliffe Family circa 1742 is inspiration for creative writing and empathetic reasoning. Your class discusses the period in which the piece was painted, then imagines what life was like for one of the people seen in the...

What would you do if you got an extra day every week? Partners share some information about their routines and lives and write compositions about one another based on the information. Each partner tries to guess what the other person...

Students discuss a dramatic situation involving realistic characters and create response "letters" to the situation in this Drama lesson for the high school classroom. The lesson emphasizes the study of empathy and sympathy as it relates...

Young scholars investigate bullying and discrimination and draw pictures of a personal response to being bullied. They read Thank You, Mr. Falkner by Patricia Polacco, to determine the philosophic act that the main character performs....

Youngsters work to build empathy, cultural understanding, and a sense of self as they uncover the story behind their own names. They read the book, The Name Jar, discuss immigration and how it feels to be in a new place. Then, they...

Middle schoolers read about and research the Holocaust using the Internet. They write poetry about an image of their choice and create a digital movie of their poetry readings.

Eighth graders analyze lyrics from songs from a variety of genres. For this musical analysis lesson, 8th graders write an essay about their life plans in which they discuss the lyrics of U2's song, "One." They tell how the writings of...

High schoolers observe an ordinary scene and look for elements of design, dynamics, spatial elements, and music. they then create their own everyday dance.

Students practice correct rhythms and pitches during this short lesson plan for the middle school instrumental class. Objectives vary depending on music used for the lesson plan. Students assessed through group playing in class.

Students discuss the painting The Radcliffe Family and discuss what it was like for them to hold poses for portraits. In this portrait lesson plan, students then pose stuffed animals and make their own portraits.

Students complete cross-curricular activities to study the culture and humanity in Japan. Students read the book Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes and complete social studies and art lessons related to the book as well as develop an...

Students observe the painting, From That Day On, by Ben Shahn, and reflect on the story of the Lucky Dragon. They research and discuss the physical and emotional side effects on the Japanese people after the atomic bomb was dropped.

Students explore appropriate ways to communicate feelings.  In this character development lesson, students listen to Hands are not for Hitting and several other books about expressing emotions appropriately.  Students observe...

Students identify the various forms of bullying in a class discussion and to sort out the situations that can hurt outside and inside. They count the number of bullying incidents posted on the bulletin board to find which occur most...